An oenophile (and foodie), a dork, and an adventurer, I will take you on my journeys into wine (and food). Happy drinking!

Monday, October 13, 2008

X tastes like X (VP Debate wine)

Di Majo Norante, 2002 Contado, Aglianico, Molise, $13, 13.5% abv

Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, & Aglianico = deliciousness. These three grapes exude tastiness that I can never resist. When grown in their home turfs, their varietal character enchants me. Well-made, well-priced examples of these always have a place on my personal wine list. As the temperature drops, I start looking for some good bottles. I found this (older vintage) Aglianico at my local, wine shops (where the wines tend to be VERY poorly stored and often you get weird oxidized or funky bottles; like a 2006 Rueda that tasted like an old white Burg), so I hesitated to buy it. But I was hungry for that floral/fruity/earthy combo you get in Aglianico.

I opened this bottle, and that’s what I got. Aglianico. Classic Aglianico flavor, not as fruit-driven as the Terradora Aglianico 2006, or as earthy and statuesque as a Taurasi, but classic fruit. I really can’t find any vintage information on 2002 in Molise (Can you get vintage information on Molise anywhere?!), but this dude’s tannins had subsided, giving the black cherry, floral, and blackberry fruit a nice leathery edge, blah blah blah. When my companions asked me what I thought this tasted like, I replied, “Mmm. Tastes like Aglianico.” Good (definitely great QPR) Aglianico for that matter. The bottle was even better on Day 2.

Oh, and this was my VP Debate wine. I was hoping for Scary Palin to take off her glasses and reveal that this whole thing was a huge publicity stunt, and she was actually Tina Fey. If Fey was McCreep’s running mate, I may consider switching my vote. (Or switching my opinion of Tina Fey.)